Apparatus for making pipe loops



April 19, 1932. Q SUMMERS 1,854,567

' APPARATUS FOR MAKING PIPE LOOPS Original Filed Jan. 31, 192' 2Sheets-Sheet l 2 5 0 Z gnvzntoo 7 April 1932- o. M. SUMMERS 1,854,567

APPARATUS FOR MAKING PIPE LOOPS Original Filed Jan. 31. 192' 2Sheets-Sheet 2 mmww Patented Apr. 19, 1932 warren STATES PATENT- OFFICEOTTO M. SUMMERS, OF DAYTON, OHIO, ASSIGNOR T0 FRIGIDAIRE CORPORATION, OF

DAYTON, 01-110, A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE vAPPARATUS FOR MAKING PIPELOOPS Original application filed January 31, 1927, Serial No. 164,880.Patent No. 1,732,343. Divided and. this application filed December 31,1928.

This invention relates to refrigerating apparatus, and particularly tothe cooling units 1 thereof and the method of manufacturing same, thisapplication being a division of my application Serial No. 164,880, forMethod of forming pipe-loops, filed January 31, 1927, Patent 1,7 82,843.

In the'fiooded system of refrigeration, it is customary to use a tank orheader which has a plurality of loops adapted to contain liquidrefrigerant connected therewith. The greater the number of loops thatcan be used, the greater is the cooling surface presented. Loops areused, as they present their entire surface to the atmosphere and, at thesame time, provide a free passage for the circulating air within thecooling compartment.

If a suflicient number of round loops were used, it would be necessaryto place them so close together that the circulation of air throughcooling unit would be materially obstructed. For this reason it ispreferable to use loops which are flattened throughout most of theirlength. However, it is desirable that the loops have cylindrical ends sothat they may be more readily attached to header, because it is easierto make a good joint between cylindrical parts than between parts whichare oblong or elliptical in crosssection.

In prior methods of manufacturing these flat loops with cylindrical endsit has been the practice to make each loop separately, Which practice isboth slow and costly.

It is an object of this invention to provide a method of manufacturing aplurality of individual loops from a single coil pipe, in which aportion of these loops has one crosssectional contour and anotherportion another cross-sectiona-l contour.

A further object of this invention is to provide a method for making aplurality of pipe loops which can be practiced by means of single andeasily constructed apparatus.

Further objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparentfrom the following description, reference being had to the accompanyingdrawings, wherein a preferred form of the present invention is clear 1yshown.

Serial No. 329,368.

In the drawings Fig. 2 is a sectional view taken on the line 22 ofFig.1;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary view showing a forming operation;

Fig. 4 is a sectional view taken on the line 44 of Fig. 3; Fig. 5 is afragmentary view with the formmg dies removed from mandrel showing sawcut through pipe; i

Fig. 6 is a sectional view taken on the line 66' of Fig. 5;

Fig. 7 shows one of the completed loops attached to a header; and v vFig. 8 is a sectional view taken on the line 88 of Fig. 7.

Referring to the drawings, a length of flat pipe 10 is coiled about amandrel 11'. The mandrel may be of any suitable shape to conform withthe configuration of the, finished product. The top side of the mandrelis provided with a groove 12 which extends the entire length of themandrel intermediate the edges thereof. The groove 12 is adapted toreceive a die or swaging member 18. The die or swaging member isprovided, transversely thereof, with spaced, semi-circular... grooves14, each of which receives a turn of the coiled pipe. The die or swagingmember 13 is then elevated above the plane of the mandrel 11, by meansof a removable bar or wedge 15, thereby providing a space between thetop of the mandrel and the pipe'10. This space is provided in order topermit shaping a portion of each turn of pipe into a cylindrical formwithout deforming other portions thereof.- In practice, it is preferablefirst to assem-' 'member'13, is then placed in an inverted po sitionupon the turns of the coiled pipe 10, so that the grooves ofeach of thedie or swagingmembers are opposite,*with each pair of grooves having aportion of a turn of the coil between them.

By means of a press (not shown), the die or swaging member 16 is forceddownwardly into contact with the die or swaging member 13, so that theiropposing grooves unite to form a cylindrical recess, thereby forcingthat portion of the pipe which is between these members into acylindrical shape. The

.means, such as a saw 20. The natural spring of the loops thus formed,permits them to be easily removed from the mandrel; and, as they areusually constructed of copper, each loop may be readily bent by handinto the desired shape to fit into the opening in header shown in Fig.7. It is readily apparent that the process described may be employed inany case where it is desirable to provide end portions of onecross-section on pipe loops of another cross-section by the use ofsuitable die or swaging members.

Whilethe form of embodiment of the 1nvention as herein disclosed,constitutes a preferred .form, it is to be understood that other formsmight be adapted, all coming within the scope of the -claims whichfollow.

Whatis claimed is as follows:

1. Apparatus for making pipe loops having portions of differentcross-sectional contour comprising, a two-part swedging die providing aplurality of die recesses each for receiving a portion of a turn of apipe coil, a mandrel having provisions for receiving one of the diemembers so that each turn of the pipe which is wrapped around themandrel will be received by a die recess in said die member, and meanscarried by the mandrel for supporting said die member and movablerelative to the mandrel to permit retracting said die member from thepipe coil.

'2. Apparatus according to claim 1 in which the mandrel is provided witha longitudinally extendinggroove'for receiving one of the die members,and a removable bar for spacing 7 providing a plurality of die recesseseach for receiving a portion of a turn of a pipe coil, a mandrel havlngprovisions for receiving one ofthe die members so that each turn of thepipe which is wrapped around the mandrel will be received .by a dierecess in said (he member, and means carried by the mandrel forsupporting said die member, said means being adapted to permitretracting said die member within the surface of the mandrel.

AL. Apparatus for making pipe loops having portions of differentcross-sectional contour comprising a mandrel for coiling pipe, themandrel including swedging means ada ated to enga e onl a ortion of eachtour comprising a mandrel for coiling pipe,

the mandrel including movable swedging means, and means for holding theswedging means in engagement with the coil.

7. Apparatus for making pipe loops having portions oi differentcross-sectional contour comprising a mandrel for coiling pipe and meansremovably positioned within a longitudinal recess of the mandrel forswedging a portion of each convolution of the coil. In testimony whereofI hereto afliX my signature OTTO M. SUMMERS.

